Equality in The Workplace: Dream or Reality?

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Women have fought to be treated fairly and should have the same pay as men. Men still have better jobs and receive better pay than women (Cotter, Hermsen and Vanneman). The fight for economic equality has slowed, but it is still necessary in society (Obama). The role of women in society has changed drastically. Women no long have to stay at home and take care of their children. There is now a need for women to work in order to provide for their family. Women continue to dream of a life filled with economic and politically equality. If they continue to work for this dream, it can become a reality. They can break through the stereotypical glass ceiling, “a term coined by The Wall Street Journal in the mid-1980s to describe an invisible barrier that keeps female executives from being promoted to the top ranks or corporate management” (Lee and Wagner). The glass ceiling can have different connotations for each and every person.

People can sometimes think of the denotation when discussing the glass ceiling. The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy defines the glass ceiling as, “an unacknowledged – and ultimately illegal – barrier [for] advancement, especially for women and people of color” (Glass Ceiling). Many companies to not believe that this is unlawful decision; however, after President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 it became an illegal act (Shuster). Government facilities are abiding by this law making their employees’ salary transparent, reducing the gender pay gap, “the gender pay gap was just 11 per cent, compared to the 23 per cent across the entire full-time workforce” (Burke). The gender pay gap will be reduced if companies would press through this invisible barrier and gi...

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Obama, Barack. "White House Proclamation: 2011 Equal Pay Day Proclamation." 11 April 2011. United States Department of Labor. 7 February 2012 .

Shuster, Patrick. "Women Give Critz Earful on Issues." 11 June 2011. EBSCOhost. 9 March 2012 .

Statistics, U.S Bureau of Labor. "All Equal Pay Fact Sheets 2011." April 2011. United States Department of Labor. 7 February 2012 .

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